“It can fly at speeds of up to 830km/h to a distance of up to 10,000kms.

“Whilst this is a first for the Royal Australian Air Force, other countries including the United States regularly use military assets to assist with Antarctic logistics and I am confident Australia can do the same.”

Wilkins is about 70 kilometres from Casey Station, Australia's largest base in Antarctica.

Interesting day at work yesterday. Travelled to Antarctica in a C-17A Globemaster and back again in about 13 hours! pic.twitter.com/Ssp7YAZNVn

"It allows us to test our C-17As in extremely challenging Antarctic conditions, while supporting the great work carried out by the Australian Antarctic Division," RAAF Commodore Richard Lennon told AAP.

AAD director Nick Gales described the flight as significant, saying it would cut down the time it took to transport heavy gear to Antarctica.

"It means we can bring heavy equipment in and out of Antarctic whereas it would have taken us two years in the past on the ship - one year in, one year out - we are now able to do it within a season," Gales told the ABC.

"It is an enormous advance in planning (and) all the work we do. It is a major step."